Editorial Page
A Small Basket
by Tom Torrance

Thanksgiving brings to my mind the harvest, with its warm, autumnal colours; abundant array of fresh local produce; and homemade breads, jams, and preserves. These items, displayed in the Church sanctuary on Thanksgiving Sunday, represent a strong memory for me.

As a child, I remember decorating a basket, usually a four-quart cardboard one, and filling it with a sampling of the harvest. My basket, along with those of the other Sunday School children, was offered as a contribution to the harvest display at Church. After the services for the day were over, the baskets were donated to the Children’s ward at the hospital. We were always instructed to include our names with the baskets. The reason for this became clear one Thanksgiving when I received a thank you note from the child who had been given my basket.

The note was from a young Inuit girl who was suffering from Tuberculosis, and she was thrilled with the gift of the fresh fruit in the basket. This made me feel that I had played a huge part in the harvest festival that year, for not only had I helped to beautify the Church with my basket, but my gift had touched another’s life. Looking back at this incident now, I realize how naïve I was to feel that way.

Now that I am an adult, Thanksgiving still brings to mind the harvest. However, at this time of the year, I can not help but think of the dedicated people who have chosen to make their life’s work agriculture. Where would any of us be without these rural warriors who fight a constant battle with dramatic climatic changes, diminishing soil quality, and, like most of us, financial instability. Each of us who inhabit this planet owe farmers our very lives, for in order to sustain life, we must have the products and by-products that result from their labours. We should recognize that farmers daily face the arduous task of feeding the world, in the face of worldwide hunger, rapidly growing world population, and the global depletion of workable land. How small my little Thanksgiving basket seems in comparison.

Thanksgiving also reminds me of another sort of harvest, that of bringing souls to a true belief in the saving grace of Jesus. Once again I am in awe of those individuals who can freely and ably spread the good news of the Gospel. I know that as believers, we are called to bring those around us to saving faith: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15) However, it is not every believer who can effectively speak to the masses about the Gospel message We can be open to opportunities that arise and speak to a friend, family member, or the person next to us about our Lord and Saviour. One on one we can still be witnesses for Christ. Sometimes just living a Christ-centered life can invite comments or questions that might lead to a witnessing opportunity. I would invite you to prayerfully seize those opportunities. Just remember that one small basket did not seem like much, but when joined with all the others it was able to feed a hospital ward. The same thing is true of that one soul that you lead to Christ. When joined with all the others, they will fill Heaven.

Come ye thankful people come—raise the song of harvest home.